Wayfarer Pinot Noir Fort Ross-Seaview Wayfarer Vineyard The Estate 2023
- Score
- 95
- Price
- $100
- Cases Made
- 1,300
On the Sonoma Coast, the Wayfarer vineyard began anonymously when it was planted in 2002 by Napa Valley–based vineyard guru David Abreu. (It remains his only Sonoma planting to date.) The fruit was initially blended with other sources into a Sonoma Coast bottling under Jayson Pahlmeyer’s namesake label. Daughter Cleo Pahlmeyer joined the family business in 2008, taking the project under her wing, and Wayfarer debuted in 2012 as an independent label. When Jayson sold the business to Gallo in 2019, the second-generation vintner kept Wayfarer and its high-elevation jewel-box vineyard. The Estate bottling, under the hand of winemaker Todd Kohn, combines fruit from all parcels, including 11 clonal selections of Pinot Noir in the vineyard.
Tasting Note
Offers beautifully rendered notes of hibiscus, rose petal, damson plum and mulberry that stretch out lengthily thanks to the fine-beaded acidity and taut, precise tannins. The sapid finish lets in tea and incense hints amid the glistening fruit. Best from 2026 through 2036.—James Molesworth
- Region:
- Sonoma County, California
- Issue Date:
- Sept. 30, 2025
